Home Insulation With the Stroke of a Brush
Issue: 2003
Category: Environment and Resource Management
Page: 48-49
Center: Kennedy Space Center, Ames Research Center
State: FL
Manufacturer: Hy-Tech Thermal Solutions
Origin: NASA Ames Thermal Research
Abstract:
As a manufacturer and marketer of thermal solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial applications, Hy-Tech Thermal Solutions attributes its success to the high performance insulating ceramic microsphere originally developed from NASA thermal research at Ames Research Center. Shaped like a hollow ball so small that it looks as if it is a single grain of flour to the naked eye, the microsphere is non-combustible and fairly chemical-resistant, and has a wall thickness about 1/10 of the sphere diameter, a compressive strength of about 4,000 pounds-per-square-inch, and a softening point of about 1800 degrees Celsius.
Hy-Tech Thermal Solutions improved upon these properties by removing all of the gas inside and creating a vacuum. When these microspheres are combined with other materials, they enhance the thermal resistance of those materials. In bulk, the tiny ceramic "beads" have the appearance of a fine talcum powder. Their inert, non-toxic properties allow them to mix easily into any type of paint, coating, adhesive, masonry, or drywall finish. Additionally, their roundness causes them to behave like ball bearings, rolling upon each other, and letting the coatings flow smoothly.
Energy efficient buildings, industrial processes and transportation could reduce the world's energy needs in 2050 by one third, and help controlling global emissions of greenhouse gases, according to the International Energy Agency.
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